Golden hour
Golden Hour in Washington, DC
The golden hour in Washington is the warm, low-sun window just after sunrise and before sunset (sun roughly −4° to +6°). Below are today's morning and evening golden hours for Washington, District of Columbia (38.91°, -77.04°), plus where on the horizon the sun rises and sets.
Washington, DC
Saturday, June 20, 2026
Morning golden hour
5:20 AM – 6:22 AM
1h 2m
Evening golden hour
7:56 PM – 8:59 PM
1h 2m
Golden & blue hour
Morning golden hour5:20 AM – 6:22 AM1h 2m
Evening golden hour7:56 PM – 8:59 PM1h 2m
Morning blue hour5:10 AM – 5:20 AM10 min
Evening blue hour8:59 PM – 9:08 PM10 min
Sun
Sunrise5:42 AM58° ENE
Sunset8:36 PM302° WNW
Solar noon1:09 PM
Day length14h 54m
Dawn · civil5:10 AM
Dawn · nautical4:30 AM
Dawn · astronomical3:43 AM
Dusk · civil9:08 PM
Dusk · nautical9:49 PM
Dusk · astronomical10:35 PM
Moon
Waxing Crescent
37% illuminated
- Moonrise
- 11:54 AM83° E
- Moonset
- 12:19 AM281° W
Horizon directions
SunriseSunsetMoonriseMoonset
More for Washington
Gear for the shot
- Graduated ND filter Balance a bright golden sky against a darker foreground.
- Circular polarizer Cut glare and deepen sky and foliage colour.
- ND filter kit Long exposures of moving water and clouds at sunset.
- Lens hood Tame flare when shooting toward a low sun.
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Golden hour in nearby cities
Washington — frequently asked
- When is golden hour today in Washington?
- Washington's golden hour happens twice a day — in the morning around sunrise and again in the evening before sunset. The exact start and end times for today are shown in the planner above and update to your selected date.
- How long does golden hour last in Washington?
- Golden hour in Washington typically lasts 40–70 minutes, varying with the season and latitude (38.9°). It is longer near the solstices and around the summer months.
- Which direction does the light come from?
- During morning golden hour the sun is low in the east; in the evening it is low in the west. The compass in the planner shows the exact sunrise and sunset bearings for Washington today.